1. Course Description

How can scientists explain mental activities such as thinking, imagining, and
remembering? Are the explanations offered in psychology similar to or different
from those found in the natural sciences? How do psychological explanations
relate to those of other disciplines, especially those included in cognitive
science? The course will focus on major research traditions in psychology, with
a special focus on contemporary cognitive psychology. Research on decision making
will provide a focus for the latter portion of the course.

Given the nature of the class, substantial material will be presented in lectures
that goes beyond what is included in the readings. Also, philosophy is an activity,
and learning activities requires active engagement. Accordingly, class attendance
and discussion is critical. Although we will have discussions on other occasions
as well, several classes are designated as discussion classes.

2. Course Requirements

Class attendance is mandatory. Missing classes more than very occasionally
will result in a reduction in your grade. To get the most out of the class,
it is absolutely essential that every one comes to class prepared to discuss
the readings. To ensure that this happens and to foster subsequent discussions
in class, you will be required to turn in a very short (one paragraph) comments
or questions on reading assigned during each of the quarter, except when there
is an exam. You can write about anything in the readings you find interesting,
puzzling, strange, clearly wrong, obviously right, etc. These will be graded
as acceptable or unacceptable. To ensure that your submission is acceptable,
your comment or question must demonstrate that you have done the reading in
question and contain fewer than four grammar or spelling errors. These must
be submitted as email to phil149@mechanism.ucsd.edu by 9 AM on the classes preceded
by an asterisk in the schedule below (note, these are all Thursday classes except
one on which there is an exam). You must turn in seven acceptable weekly assignments
to receive a passing grade for the course.

Your grade in the course will be based on in-class essay exams and a final
exam. The two in-class exams will each count for 30% of your grade and the final
exam will count for 40% of the grade. Participation in class discussions can
result in a raising or lowering of your final grade from what is determined
by the above percentages.

3. Texts

4. Email List

There is an email distribution lists for this course. It is required that you
subscribe to this list. Do it IMMEDIATELY. You can always unsubscribe later
if you drop the course. The purpose of the list is to allow me to distribute
information regarding due dates for assignments, changes of schedule, etc. Some
of this information is crucial, and some of it may be distributed early on.
To subscribe, you simply need to send an email message to the following address:
philpsych-subscribe@mechanism.ucsd.edu. After you send the subscribe request,
you will receive a reply from philpsych-subscribe@mechamism.ucsd.edu that will
ask you to confirm your request. Follow the directions in this message to confirm
you subscription. If you later want to remove yourself from this list, send
email to philpsych-unsubscribe@mechanism.ucsd.edu.

Only I have authorization to send mail to this list. There should be no spam.
If you receive mail from this list that is not from me, be assured that I will
as well and will take measures to block further abuse. (The welcome message
you receive suggests that you can send email to the list. Sorry, but you cannot.
If there is interest in setting up a voluntary discussion list for the class
to which anyone can submit, I am happy to do so, but participation will not
make it required.)

5. Schedule of Classes and Readings

Note: This schedule of reading assignments is tentative and subject to revision.
Dates with asterisks are dates on which comments/question paragraphs on the
reading are due. These comments/questions must be sent to phil149@mechanism.ucsd.edu
by 9 AM on the dates indicated.